Turkey warns Syria on military operations

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/194110.html

Turkey has warned the Syrian government to stop military operations aimed at ending the recent unrest in the country “immediately and unconditionally.”

"If these operations do not stop, there will be nothing left to say about the steps that would be taken," Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Monday.

"This is our final word to the Syrian authorities, our first expectation is that these operations stop immediately and unconditionally," Today's Zaman quoted Davutoglu as saying.

The Turkish foreign minister stressed Turkey's support for the Syrian people, adding that Ankara has been contacting the Damascus government everyday to demand an end to the crackdown.

Earlier, the Turkish military called up its recently retired officers in anticipation of a massive influx of Syrian refugees along its border with Syria.

The Syrian military has been conducting an operation to combat armed terrorist gangs responsible for the attacks on protesters, security forces and public places.

Syria has been grappling with months of unrest that has left scores of people dead so far.

The opposition accuses security forces of being behind the killings. But the Syrian government blames armed gangs for the violence, saying that the unrest is being orchestrated from outside the country.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to bring the people responsible for the killings to justice.

Earlier, President Assad issued a decree which will authorize a multi-party political system in the country. The measure allows new political parties to operate alongside the ruling Ba'ath party -- in power since 1963.